Saying goodbye to summer is always a little bittersweet for us at The Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society because summer is when we feature the greatest community outreach program we’ve ever done. For the past six years, CHHS has hosted a series of week-long day camps for elementary schoolchildren called Critter Camp.
Critter Camp teaches important skills about responsible pet ownership, dog bite prevention, and the importance of spay/neuter.
Critter Camp provides these amazing kids with the tools they need to be our animal welfare ambassadors of tomorrow. The highlight of each week of Critter Camp is on Friday with what we call the “Graduation Hike”. The graduation hikes are now extra-special because they take place on the new Misty’s Trail on our 10-acre campus.
Critter Camp also features fantastic guest presenters.
In 2025 we welcomed back returning guests Chuck the “Wildlife Geek” from Greenville with his adorable capybara and a baby ringtail lemur, and long-time favorite Cassie with the WNC Nature Center. New presenters this year were special guests Summer the Dog Trainer with her canine assistant Snoop Dog, and children’s book author Madison Traviss who shared with the campers her book about hiking 500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail with her dog Indi.
Last but not least, we welcomed new presenter Little Rascals Petting Zoo who gave the campers a memorable hands-on experience with local farm animals.
But the future of animal welfare really doesn’t have much to do with animals. That may sound strange, but it’s true. The future of animal welfare actually has everything to do with children. If we teach children kindness towards animals, compassion for their survival, and a respect for the habitat that we share… then it is not much of a stretch to believe that these kids will grow up to respect others who are different from themselves, who will be kind to each other, and who will work together to make our beautiful plateau a safe, friendly and welcoming home for all creatures great and small.
That is the core mission of the CHHS Critter Camp. To be on the list to be notified of 2026 Critter Camp dates, please email jodi@chhumanesociety.org. We’re already looking forward to next summer.
Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization located at 200 Gable Drive in Sapphire, 1 ½ miles east of the Cashiers Ingles in between Cedar Creek Club and Lonesome Valley on Highway 64. For more information visit chhumanesociety.org or call (828) 743-5752.
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